1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf bag carrier including a platform which is mountable on a specialized passenger's foot peg and a cradle which is mountable on a fastening rail attached to a motorcycle. The platform and cradle are easily detachable without unbolting and storable in a saddlebag or the like. The foot peg and fastening rail may be left in place and do not detract from the use, appearance or enjoyment of the motorcycle.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Motorcycling and golfing are not mutually exclusive sports. For those involved in both and on a beautiful day, it would be nice to be able to go golfing and riding and perhaps not incidentally flaunt the fact that the rider does both. But effectively bringing the best of both worlds together has eluded designers of golf bag carriers.
It is possible to bungee cord a golf bag on a motorcycle but such attachment is time consuming, dangerous for both rider and other vehicles if the bag becomes detached and does not project a prestige image. In addition, the bungee-corded golf bag gets in the way to carrying a passenger. There are commercially available devices which are better than bungee cords. Many of them attach the golf bag to the rear of the motorcycle where it blocks the license plate and signal lights and is not street legal or requires rewiring. There are also devices that attach to the rear and carry a golf bag high above the rear fender but they affect the balance of the motorcycle. There is a commercially available split golf bag that replaces the saddlebags and is zipped back together for use in golfing. But many golfers already have a stylish golf bag which they prefer to use.
What is needed is a stable, side mounted golf bag carrier that mounted in a secure and solid fashion without affecting or offsetting the weight, balance, or alignment of the motorcycle or interfering with the available space for a passenger. In addition, the golf bag carrier should also be easily detachable from mounting means that are left in place on the motorcycle and do not detract from the lines of the motorcycle or its functionality. The present invention provides such a golf bag carrier.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a golf bag carrier for a motorcycle, the carrier including a platform and a cradle that are easily detachable from a specialized passenger's foot peg and a fastening rail. It is another object to provide a golf bag carrier wherein the detached platform and cradle are storable in a motorcycle saddlebag. It is also an object to provide a golf bag carrier wherein the specialized passenger's foot peg and the fastening rail may be left in place and do not detract from the use, appearance or enjoyment of the motorcycle. Other objects and features of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
In accordance with the invention, a golf bag carrier is provided for attachment to the left-hand side of a motorcycle with a saddlebag optionally left in place on the right-hand side. The golf bag carrier in major part includes a platform detachably mountable on a foot peg and a cradle detachably mountable on a fastening rail.
The foot peg has a tongue attached to a frame. The tongue is adapted to mate with an existing foot peg bracket on a motorcycle and the frame has top, bottom, side and end walls with a slot formed in one of the sidewalls and a hole passing through the top and bottom walls. The frame is attached to the tongue with a bolt passing through the end walls and threaded into the tongue about which the frame may be pivoted with respect to the tongue. The frame is selectively lockable on the bolt with respect to the tongue for positioning the platform with respect to the ground.
The platform has a coupling end slidably receivable in the slot in the frame and an accessory end upon which a golf bag may be placed. There is a hole in the coupling end alignable with the hole passing through the top and bottom walls of the frame when the coupling end is received in the slot in the frame and a hitch pin is inserted through the aligned holes.
The cradle has a laterally extending arcuate arm adapted to partly embrace a golf bag and a depending leg attached to one end of the arcuate arm.
The fastening rail has spaced mounting holes adapted to mate with existing fender holes in a motorcycle and an upwardly extending arm. The arm of the fastening rail and the leg of the cradle have male and female mating members for detachable mounting of the cradle to the fastening rail.
When detached, the platform and cradle may be stored in the right-hand saddlebag, if available and desired, and the specialized passenger's foot peg and fastening rail left in place where they do not detract from the use, appearance (particularly if chromed) or enjoyment of the motorcycle.
The invention summarized above comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated by the subjoined claims.